The Pirate King
by DinoS
Summary: Luffy sets out on his journey. He meets new people and makes new friends.Read to find out more!
1. The Voyage Begins

**The Pirate King**

**Chapter 1 – The Voyage Begins**

"_I leave this straw hat to you…!"_

Luffy had just woken up from his short nap after having yet another dream of Shanks, his childhood idol. It was ten years ago on this same day that Luffy had set his eyes on becoming the Pirate King. The Pirate King is the title given to the man who has attained everything the world has to offer. Gold Roger, the former Pirate King, had been executed years back. Before being executed, he told the world that his greatest treasure, the One Piece was waiting to be found on Raftel, the island at the end of the Grand Line. With those words reaching the ears of the people, the great pirate era had begun. Pirates were all sailing towards the Grand Line in search of the treasure but at the same time, the world had begun to change. It was now Luffy's turn to set sail and begin his journey.

"_Luffy..! Don't be late! We've gotten everything ready!" _

A calm and soothing voice called out from below. Luffy was on the second floor of the Fuusha Village Bar where he had lived for the past two years.

"_Hai, Hai!"_

Luffy stretched his arms while yawning with a big grin on his face. He stretched his arms over to the side bed and lifted up a straw hat and placed it firmly on his head.

"_I can't believe he's heading out! With Luffy, all three of them will bring shame on Fuusha Village!"_

A short old man who was sitting next to the bar counter spoke to the two figures standing in front of him. He was drinking a cup of what seemed to look like coffee with one hand while the other was holding his cane.

"_Nothing you say will change his mind mayor. He's finally beginning his journey afterall!" _

The calm and soothing voice spoke out again.

"_Thanks Makino!"_

Luffy had arrived at the bar after changing his clothes. As he entered the hall, there were three people and two of them being female. Makino who called Luffy downstairs seemed to be in her late 20s, a very fat woman holding a large bat, and an old man who appeared to be the mayor of the village.

"_You're late bastard!"_

The fat lady holding the bat who was standing next to Makino yelled out. She also had a cigar which wasn't lit placed in her mouth to intimidate others.

"_Cooo…Cooo…"_

A Newspaper coo had arrived over the village where it dropped a large bad filled with newspapers towards the ground.

"_It's about time…!"_

The Mayor stood up and walked towards the door like every other morning. He grunted a few words which weren't really clear as he stepped out.

"_Where's the meat?"_

Luffy was getting impatient like always as he helped himself to the vacant seat where the mayor sat while grabbing a knife and fork off the table.

"_I'll bring it now Luffy."_

Makino walked off into the kitchen to bring meat for Luffy before he departs while humming a familiar tone Luffy remembered since he had met her. She returned with meat a few minutes later and handed it to Luffy who had begun eating it as soon as he got his hands on them.

"_What is the world turning to…?"_

The mayor had returned with the newspaper in his hands. His voice was troubled and had a worried look on his face which caught the attention of the two women. Luffy was too busy gulping down the meat. The two women walked towards the mayor wondering what had happened.

"_What's wrong mayor?"_

Makino asked in a curious yet excited tone as she gazed at the mayor. Makino had always been interested in pirate related news to hear news from Shanks.

"_It looks like the two tailed bijuu was sighted near the reverse mountain here."_

The mayor placed the newspaper on the table close to him and sat down with a sigh.

"_A Tailed bijuu? Here in the East Blue?"_

Dadan was shocked by this news. The East Blue is supposed to be the safest of the four seas and there was no need for a Grand Line Pirate to appear here. Dadan looked at Luffy as he was about to go to the Grand Line as well and the only rumours they knew were that most of the Pirates who went there never returned except those who were exceptionally strong.

"_The marines stationed at East Blue are all too weak except for one who has never shown his face to the public. They say he doesn't show his face because the pirates from East Blue are all too weak or don't pose a threat. Anyway, by the time the marines got there, the two-tails was long gone." _

The discussion was coming to a close. Luffy got out of his seat and walked towards them giving each a hug.

"_I'll be going now guys. Take care!" _

Luffy walked towards the bay with the Mayor and Makino with a few villagers accompanying him. Dadan had to watch from a distance or she would have been chased away by the villagers. Luffy got on a small fishing boat and set sail. A few meters away from the dock, a large silhouette appeared under the boat and suddenly, a crocodile-like sea monster jumped out. The villagers and Makino were frightened as soon as they saw the local sea monster in front of Luffy who was starting at it like It was nothing.

"_I've been waiting for you!" _

Luffy grinned as he pulled his right arm back which stretched and then snapped the stretched arm back towards the local monster. The punch landed straight on its face and was knocked unconscious. All the villagers were amazed to see Luffy take down the sea monster in a single punch. Makino and Dadan had tears in their eyes to see Luffy brimming with confidence as he yelled, _"I'M GOING TO BE THE PIRATE KING!"_

The small fishing boat now sailed slowly into the horizon and disappeared from sight.

_**End of the chapter...**_


	2. Encounter

**Disclaimer: One Piece is not mine. You should know by now. ;)**

**A/N: I haven't had the time to write this chapter with so many things happening around me but I hope I made up for it. Please let me know what you guys think of this chapter! I'm also looking for some characters. If you know, please let me know through the reviews. Thanks! ;3**

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><p><strong>The Encounter<strong>

"_I-I'm so hungry!"_ exclaimed Luffy.

It has been two days since Luffy left Fuusha Village to begin his journey to become the pirate king. Makino had packed a large sum of meat for Luffy's journey but he had consumed it all within two days which left him wanting more. He was now sitting in the corner of the small fishing boat looking ahead for any island sighting. Luffy had no knowledge about the sea despite his dream to become the pirate king. He relied on the wind to take him to a nearby island. As he sat, a large phoenix-like bird flew overhead the small fishing boat with gold and red being its dominant colors. It could also be resembled to a peacock but much more beautiful. It has yellow tail-feathers, a white underside, and green feathers at the tip of its wings. It also has green stripe on its neck, a yellow beak, black rings around its red-iris eyes, and a feathered-crest. Luffy's eyes turned to meat as he saw his meal fly above his head. He bent his knees and jumped up. Surprisingly, he was able to catch onto its large green feet. Luffy looked down to see how far up he was only to notice that he had forgotten about his boat.

"_Crap! I'm leaving the boat behind!"_ Luffy shouted

Luffy was so busy thinking about his appetite that he didn't take note of how he would take the boat with him. The fishing boat began to get smaller as the bird flew farther and farther away. Since there was no way back, Luffy decided to hold onto the birds feet until he saw an island.

_Hours Later…_

"_Ohh! I see an Island!" _

Luffy was ecstatic about finally being able to see an island but more importantly, his appetite. As the bird flew above the island, Luffy let go of the bird's feet and fell straight into the forest that was behind the town. Thanks to a few tree branches, Luffy got tangled between the vines of the branches and avoided crashing to the ground.

"_Stupid Vines!" _

After untangling himself from the vines, he decided to head to town and get himself some meat. The town didn't seem to be big. It had a really tall building in the center with a board that read "MAYOR". The buildings were all orange and they weren't very tall, none of them had more than one floor except for the center building that read MAYOR.

"_This is such a weird place" _Luffy thought as he walked down the street.

The towns' people who noticed Luffy coming through the woods were very wary of him. They seemed as if they didn't want him in this town. Luffy finally found a meat store at the far end, close to the lake. It was hard to distinguish between the buildings and stores since there were no signboards and all the buildings looked alike. As Luffy entered, a young girl ran up to him with an angry stare. She stopped for a second and then screamed,

"_GET OUT OF OUR TOWN! LEAVE US ALONE!"_

An older woman who seemed to be her mother apologized instantly and took the girl back into a building. Luffy was confused with what was going on. The towns' people were even more frightened after the girl let out her anger. Luffy ignored what had happened and went inside to full up his stomach. The shop keeper was an old man. He wore a white bandana on his head and a white apron over his red t-shirt and black pants. He didn't seem as frightened as the others but he still showed signs of anger towards Luffy.

"_Ossan, can I get some meat?"_ asked Luffy.

"_Yeah, Yeah."_

The Old Man went indoors and then arrived later carrying a large plate of meat. He placed it before Luffy who began eating it right away.

"_Thanks Ossan!"_ Luffy said while eating his meat.

The old man turned around and paused. Luffy didn't say it as clear because of the meat he had in his mouth but the old man definitely heard it.

"_W-what did you just say?"_ asked the old man looking at Luffy with a puzzled face.

"_Huh? I said thanks. This whole town is weird!"_ replied Luffy.

The Old Man understood then that this young man wasn't from around here.

"_Do you want to know why the towns' people are so stiff and why that girl said what she said?" _asked the man.

Luffy looked up for a second and nodded his head. He still continued to eat as the old man spoke.

"_A group of pirates known as Kasu Pirates have been terrorising our town. They came here a month ago and since then, we've been living in hell. I don't know what they want but some of our people have been murdered by them for not listening to their demands."_ He paused to look at Luffy who was still eating and continued_. "Their Captain, Mugoi, has a bounty of 40,000,000 beli on his head. They took shelter right behind those woods you came from so we thought that you were part of their crew. All the marines that have come to help have been killed too without even landing on the island. We lost all hope but we're feeling relieved now. We called for the bounty hunter, Roronoa Zoro, to kill those pirates. They say that he's a demon in the form of a human. If he defeats him, our town will be free!"_

Luffy didn't understand most of what was happening but he got interested in this person the old man talked about. He wanted to meet him so that he could ask him to join his crew. A few minutes later, Luffy was done with his meal.

"_When is that man coming?"_ asked Luffy

"_We sent him a call a week after they came but he hasn't showed up yet. We hope he shows up soon though."_ replied the old man.

"_Damn…I got lost!"_ called out a stranger.

"_H-He's here!"_ cried someone outside the store. The villagers began crowding in front of the store to see their hope for freedom.

**Roronoa Zoro – Pirate Hunter **

Roronoa Zoro was an average sized man with three gold earrings on his left ear. He had green hair and held three swords on his waist. He was wearing a white shirt with black pants tucked into his black boots. He had a black bandana tied across his left bicep.

"_Is this where the 40,000,000 bounty head is?"_ asked the man as he scratched his head looking at all the people crowding in front of him.

"_Y-yes sir!"_ replied one of the women in front of him_. "Please talk to our mayor about the details inside this store."_

Zoro entered the meat store and saw two figures talking.

"_Who's the mayor of this town?"_ asked Zoro

"_I am!"_ replied the old man.

"_You're the mayor?"_ asked Luffy interrupting them.

"_Yes I am."_ he replied looking at Luffy. He then turn towards Zoro and continued, _"Mugoi is behind that forest. Once you have dealt with him, we'll call over the marines to hand him over and get your payment."_

"_Got it. I'll be on my way then." _

"_Wait! I'm coming with you" _demanded Luffy as Zoro walked out the door.

"_Hmph. Don't get yourself killed"_ replied Zoro in an uncaring manner.

The man was worried about their lives but something about those two eased his worrying. Luffy and Zoro walked out the door with the village taunting Luffy now that Zoro was in town. The old man ran outside and demanded everyone to stop at once since the town mistook Luffy for one of the Kasu Pirates.

_Meanwhile, at the base of the Kasu Pirates._

"_C-CAPTAIN!"_ cried a voice running through the woods and into the cottage that was in a big and only clearing in the forest.

**Captain "Spear" Mugoi – Kasu Pirates**

"_Why are you shouting Sado?" _

A tall muscular silhouette could be seen sitting on a big chair in the center of the square room. He had a tattoo of what seemed to be a horse's head printed across his arm. His clothes weren't visible but it seemed as though he wore an armour with only his arms and face visible.

Sado took a deep breath and continued_, "Pirate Hunter Zoro has come for you! It seems as though the towns' people contacted him about your presence."_

**Vice-Captain, "Bloody" Bushi – Kasu Pirates**

"_Hmph, He's not a threat to us."_ replied another man.

He was an average sized man wearing a samurai suit of armour. He had a small moustache growing and carried a sword on his waist_. "King predicted that the three-tails will be from east blue. We are here only to recruit him, nothing more. We'll return back to the grand line to give King our report after we complete our mission."_

_On the way to the Kasu Pirates Shelter_

"_Zoro, why do you have three swords?" _asked Luffy.

"_I use the three-sword style" _replied Zoro and asked, _"Why're you coming with me anyway? A pipsqueak like you will be killed right away."_

"_I'm not going to die here. I'm going to be the Pirate King!"_

"_Buhahahahaha! Do you even understand what you're saying?" asked Zoro laughing hysterically_

"_Pirate King means the Pirate King. What else does that mean?" _replied Luffy._ "I'm looking for a crew and I want you to join me!." _

"_I already told you that I'm not going to join you! How many times are you going to ask?"_

"_I don't care what you say. You're going to join!" _demanded Luffy ignoring Zoro's retorts.

The way to the shelter began to narrow and it split ahead of them. One of the paths read "The Clearing" while the other one didn't have anything. The old man had told them that they took shelter in the only clearing inside the forest. He also stated that there is a sign board showing them the way to the clearing. Luffy turned towards the path with the signboard while Zoro turned and walked the other path.

"_Huh? Where are you going Zoro?"_ asked Luffy when he noticed that Zoro was going the other way.

_"To get my money"_ replied Zoro as he continued to walk.

"_You're going the wrong way! How stupid can you be?"_ Luffy sweatdropped.

"_Huh? When did the signboard change?"_ replied Zoro as he turned around and took the other path with Luffy.

Both of them continued to walk straight and found themselves surrounded by a group of pirates.

"_Guess we made it"_ said Zoro with a wide grin on his face.

"_We won't allow you to see Captain_!" demanded one of the men bravely but he was sweating while talking to Zoro for Zoro was known to take down high bounty pirates.

"_That's too bad"_ replied Zoro while as he reached out to his waist for his swords but he didn't have to.

"_**Gomu-Gomu-No-Bazooka!"**_

Luffy stretched both his arms far behind him and snapped it back towards the group ahead of them. The impact of the strike sent the group of pirates flying.

"_W-what was that?"_ asked Zoro dumbfounded.

"_I ate the Gomu-Gomu Devil Fruit."_ replied Luffy smiling.

_"What?"_ Zoro asked looking at Luffy's carefree face,

"_I don't know much about them. I just ate one"_ replied Luffy.

"_Huh? What's that supposed to mean?"_ snapped Zoro.

Luffy ignored him and continued walking. Zoro, who doesn't like to think a lot, decided to place what he had witnessed at the back of his head to focus on the event at hand. A few minutes later, they entered the clearing and saw that pirates were all armed and facing them with one tall armoured man sitting on a chair behind the group and another armoured man standing beside him.

"_We've been expecting you Roronoa Zoro"_ said Captain Mugoi with an evil grin on his face.

Zoro took out a piece of folded piece of paper from his pocket. He unfolded it and a man's face could be seen. It read [**"Spear" Mugoi. Dead or Alive. 40,000,000 Beli**.] with a nasty picture of the man sitting at the back stabbing a marine through his chest with a spear.

"_You're my prey today Mugoi"_ cried Zoro with a happy face. It seemed as though Zoro was waiting for a chance to charge in and kill.

"_Attack!"_ ordered Mugoi who was smiling while watching the chaos happen before him.

Luffy was completely ignored by the group which sort of irritated him, something he's never felt before. The same thing Shanks would do when Luffy talked about going out to sea with the friendly pirates who once took refuge in Luffy's hometown. Luffy ran behind Zoro to help him if needed but Zoro didn't seem to need help. He cut down anyone who tried to attack him and continued running towards the armoured captain.

"_Hey! Leave some for me!"_ cried out Luffy from behind Zoro's back but Zoro couldn't hear him. Zoro seemed as though he was possessed, especially at the sight of blood and at the sound of people falling to the ground. He truly was a demon in the shape of a human.

"_Who's the guy running behind Zoro"_ asked Mugoi to Bushi.

"_I'm not sure. Maybe his underling? He doesn't look strong though." _replied Bushi who was enjoying the bloodbath before them.

Soon later, all of Mugoi's men were laying on the ground with blood surrounding them and Zoro grinning with excitement. Zoro was ready for more and he had his eyes set upon his prize.

"_That was fast. I'm surprised you took down all the pawns that quickly." _Mugoi said as clapped his hands.

"_Pawns?"_ Luffy though while gritting his teeth.

"_I've had enough with the small fries! I'm here for you!" _shouted Zoro as he dashed towards Mugoi who was still seated but Zoro was sent flying right before he could take the first step.

_"It was fun I suppose but don't you dare talk like that to Captain Mugoi. You're nowhere near as strong as my captain is" _Bushi said looking at Zoro.

_"You must be "Bloody" Bushi."_ Zoro said as he got back to his feet. _"I've heard about you from other hunters. I guess I have to take you down before going for the King eh?"_

_"Our King isn't here but if you meant Captain Mugoi then yes."_

_"Hmph, don't bore me"_ replied Zoro arrogantly.

Luffy wanted to see for himself how strong Zoro would be. He also felt that he was carrying a burden that he couldn't get others into.

**End of Chapter.**

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><p><strong>Next Time: "Pirate Hunter" Zoro VS "Bloody" Bushi<strong>


	3. Weakling

**Weakling**

**Author's Note:** Reviews are appreciated! :) I never got the time to update my fanfic but I finally got the time to do it. It's not as long but I think I'll keep the chapters short from now on. Anyway, let me know what you think. ^^

Zoro and Bushi stood facing each other as if analyzing each other's strengths. The wind blew across the clearing causing the trees to dance back and forth. The animals that had been running around the bushes became silent and hid themselves from the heavy atmosphere surrounding the two swordsmen.

"Pfft. How did a weak man like yourself get a bounty on your head?" Zoro asked in disappointment.

"A man from the weakest sea has no right in questioning my strength!" spat out Bushi before running towards Zoro. Bushi swung his sword horizontally at Zoro who was taking out one of his swords from his waist.

"Akabachi!" shouted Bushi.

"Divine Punishment!" shouted Zoro.

The two exchanged attacks within a blink of an eye and the two had exchanged positions. Zoro smirked and said, "I wasn't questioning. I was stating a fact!" and placed his swords with his other two.

"H-H-How could I have been defeated by an East Blue scum?" Bushi cried as blood gushed out from his mouth. Bushi's armor was torn in two and his sword broken in half which fell to the ground beside him. Bushi slowly lost his strength and fell on the ground not breathing.

Mugoi was laughing as he witnessed his subordinate fall to the ground before him.

"That was splendid." Mugoi said as he clapped his hands.

"Splendid?" Zoro asked looking towards Mugoi.

"Buhahahaha! I knew you wouldn't disappoint me Roronoa Zoro!"

Bushi stood up from his seat and picked up his spear which lay on the ground next to him.

"THAT WAS AWESOME, ZORO!" came out a yell from behind Zoro.

"Huh?" Zoro said looking at Luffy.

"I want you to join my crew even more now!"

As the two were talking, Mugoi threw his spear towards Zoro. Zoro tried to pull out his swords but before he could reach his swords, the spear was pounded towards the ground by an arm.

"W-what the..?" cried out both Zoro and Mugoi in unison.

Mugoi and Zoro were surprised at seeing a stretched out arm before them. Zoro already witnessed Luffy's power but he had placed it at the back of his head for later.

"I'm going to beat you to a pulp!" said Luffy as he was pulled towards where his outstretched arm was and crashed on the ground.

"He's my prey, Strawhat!" interrupted Zoro.

"I guess I'll deal with this brat before I deal with my main meal" said Mugoi.

Luffy picked himself up and faced Mugoi who stood there grinning at what he witnessed.

"You ate a devil fruit?" Mugoi asked laughing.

"Yes! I ate the Gomu-Gomu Fruit." replied Luffy.

"Heh. This is a surprise." Mugoi said and continued, "…but don't confuse my strength with that of Bushi. He's never experienced the true terror of the Grand Line."

"Shishishishishisi! After I defeat you, I'll drag Zoro onto my crew!" exclaimed Luffy.

"Crew? You're a Pirate as well?" Mugoi asked, intrigued.

"Yep! I'm going to find the One Piece and become the King of the Pirates!"

The surrounding suddenly became quite. Zoro and Mugoi looked dumbfounded at hearing someone say that they will become King of the Pirates.

"Buhahahahahaha!" Mugoi bursted out with laughter not able to hold it in.

"What's so funny?" asked Luffy.

"You're underestimating the Grand Line, kid." Mugoi replied.

"Well, whatever. I'll see how it is when I get there!"

"That's right. I need to get rid of you now." Mugoi said as he removed his helmet not being able to see very well. "…I'll need retrieve that spear before I can fight you with all I got though.

"Hey now, who'd give you your spear back?" asked Zoro who decided to watch and not interrupt the battle that was going to begin before him.

"Oh. You mean this spear?" asked Luffy who picked it up and handed it over to Mugoi.

"JUST LIKE THAT?" asked both Zoro and Mugoi in unison.

"Uggh, yeah." Replied Luffy picking his nose.

"Heh. You're interesting but don't think that I'll go easy on you just because of that." Said Mugoi who got his spear pointed at Luffy.

"That's fine with me." replied Luffy as he got in a fighting stance.


	4. The Stranger

**Chapter 4 ~ The Stranger**

**Authors Note: **My latest chapter. Again, I'd appreciate your feedback on all my chapters so far.

"_Uh, yeah."_ Replied Luffy picking his nose.

_"Heh. You're interesting but don't think that I'll go easy on you just because of that."_ Said Mugoi who got his spear pointed at Luffy.

_"That's fine with me."_ replied Luffy as he got in a fighting stance.

As Mugoi picked up his staff, Luffy ran towards him and threw a punch straight to his face but it wasn't effective. Mugoi had pulled his spear and blocked his punch. As soon Mugoi blocked Luffy's punch, he swung his spear horizontally towards Luffy, tearing off part of his cloth and scratching his skin during the process. Luffy jumped back, grinning.

"Not bad…" Luffy said as he charged, once again, at the armored man before him.

"**Gomu Gomu no Pistol!"** Luffy yelled as he stretched his right arm behind and retracted it for one heavy punch in the abdomen. Mugoi was sent flying from the point of impact.

"W-what the…?" Zoro gasped as he witnessed the punch connect.

Luffy picked up his strawhat from the ground which had fallen to the ground from the punch earlier.

"His armor is pretty strong." Said Luffy cracking his knuckles as Mugoi got back on his feet and walked towards Luffy. He seemed pissed and his armor had a huge circular crack in the middle.

The angry Mugoi ran towards Luffy with his spear pointing at Luffy. Luffy, on the other hand, stretches his right leg up into the sky and as Mugoi comes close to Luffy, he retracts it landing his foot atop the spear crushing it into the ground.

"I-incredible" spoke Zoro gasping at how high Luffy's leg had stretched looking at the sky ignoring what had happened on the ground. Mugoi lifted his spear only to find half of it broken and stuck inside the ground.

Mugoi's eyes widened, his body began trembling and his usual wide grin of entertainment had all disappeared. Mugoi turned around and ran thinking to himself, "Damn! If one of the loyal knights found out about my failure here, I'll be killed!"

"So, you've failed here as well…" came a voice from a nearby tree. A man wearing ninja clothing stood there leaning against the tree. His whole face, beside his eyes and hair was covered with a mask connected to his ninja outfit. Two sword hilts could been seen that were attached to his back.

"Suto-sama.."

Mugoi had stopped running and looked at the stranger learning on the tree. He looked even more terrified with his appearance and started apologizing at once.

"I-I apologize Suto-sama but I never expected to see someone as strong as him in this part of the sea!"

"Hum, excuses won't do any good – desu" replied Suto, the stranger, who was looking attentively looking at Zoro. "His Majesty gave you one last chance because of his generosity and you've let him down on too many occasions.."

"P-please forgive me!" begged Mugoi crying on Suto's feet.

"You're giving us a bad name!" Suto said coldly. He pulled out his sword and slayed the man's head before him. "I don't give a second chance.."

Luffy began to fill with rage and while Zoro placed his hands on his sword in case the stranger attacked him.

"HOW COULD YOU KILL YOUR OWN NAKAMA?" Luffy demanded.

"Nakama…? This trash? Don't say nonse." Suto laughed hysterically. "He was sent here on a mission for a new recruit and I think he managed to find him but he's too weak and weaklings don't deserve to live."

"I'm going to kick your ass!" Luffy retorted while Suto walked forward and grabbed Mugoi's dead body and his head from the ground.

"Maybe some other time…I have to hurry for our meeting." Suto replied walking deeper into the woods and disappeared.

"I wonder what that was about…" spoke Zoro heading back to the town and Luffy followed.

"So, will you be joining my crew?" asked Luffy catching up with Zoro.

"Why would I want to be a pirate?"

"You can fight _him_ if you come with me." Luffy replied. Zoro stopped walking and looked at Luffy not sure what he was talking about.

"Who..?"

"The guy who defeated you and gave you that scar." said Luffy looking at Zoro while picking his nose.

"H-how did you know?"

"There's pain written all over your body." replied Luffy continuing to walk on ahead.

"If what he said is true, I might surely be able to fight _him_ again!" Zoro thought, following closely behind Luffy.

The two made their way through into town and to the Meat Shop where the mayor stood there with his hands over his heads, cowering in fear.

"Hey Ossan" said Luffy waving his hands as they entered the building.

"You're back!" cried out the Mayor laughing. He ran over to Zoro and Luffy and gave them a hug. "I'm so glad you're back…"

The mayor began crying and Zoro and Luffy grinned uncomfortably. He let them go soon after and soon the townspeople came over to the meat shop to congratulate their heroes. The heroes were treated to a buffet right after and soon nightfall arrived.

**To be continued…**


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